Aviva grows funds of funds team

The Des Moines, Iowa-based real estate firm has appointed Michael Fortier as controller and chief financial officer of the funds managed by Aviva Investors’ New York office.

Aviva Investors has appointed Michael Fortier as controller and chief financial officer of its New York-based global funds of funds team and the closed-ended Madison Harbor Balanced Strategies Fund.

Fortier was previously chief financial officer of New York-based investment management company Geometry Group and has also worked at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson.

Aviva Investors’ 19-person real estate multi-manager team is based in London, New York and Singapore. Fortier will oversee reporting and control functions for the New York team.

The firm has rapidly expanded its funds of funds operations in the past year, buying Madison Harbor Capital in April 2008 to boost its presence, particularly in the US.

Madison Harbor founders' Ed Casal and Russ Bates, along with the rest of Madison Harbor's employees, joined Aviva’s existing multi-manager team reporting to Nick Mansley. Casal is now chief investment officer of the global real estate multi-manager team, while Bates is portfolio manager.